Actress Rosanna Arquette has criticised Quentin Tarantino for his use of the N-word in the 1994 film Pulp Fiction, describing it as 'racist and creepy'. In an interview with the Sunday Times, Arquette, who played a role in the film, said: 'It's iconic, a great film on a lot of levels. But personally I am over the use of the N-word – I hate it. I cannot stand that [Tarantino] has been given a hall pass.'
Tarantino has faced regular criticism for his liberal use of the term in his films. In 1997, director Spike Lee said Tarantino was 'infatuated with that word', questioning his motives. However, actor Samuel L Jackson defended Tarantino, stating the language was not offensive in the context of the film.
More recently, after the release of Django Unchained in 2012, Lee again criticised Tarantino, comparing the film's portrayal of slavery to a 'Sergio Leone Spaghetti Western'. Director Antoine Fuqua countered that he did not believe Tarantino had 'a racist bone in his body'.
Tarantino defended himself in a 2015 interview, saying his motives had been portrayed negatively, making him seem like 'some supervillain'.
In the same interview, Arquette also spoke about refusing Harvey Weinstein's sexual advances in the early 1990s, claiming her career suffered as a result. She said: 'I was fortunate because I was not raped. But, boy, was it going there and I paid a price for saying no.'
